Topics: Plane Etiquette, TikTok, Travel, Advice
As the debate over plane etiquette drones on, a travel expert has spoken out on the notion that you should switch seats where possible to ensure a family sits together.
Countless parents have hit the headlines in recent weeks after demanding fellow travellers prioritise their need to sit with their kids during flights, despite the family having made no seat reservations.
And whilst some fellow mums and dads out there totally understand the plea to other passengers, others believe the request is downright out of order.
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In particular, last year, a TikTok user went viral after exposing a mother-of-two for sitting in her assigned.
The mum apparently refused to sit in her middle seat - seeking the TikTokers window instead - and claimed she'd only had 90 minutes sleep the night prior to jet-setting with her two young children, and had to perform a presentation in front of 500 people.
"The woman proceeded to complain for 15 minutes to the next person, loud enough so I could hear. But the woman actually defended me - several times," the TikToker hit out.
"It was so kind and appreciated because I was actually feeling really guilty."
The video divided viewers to such an extent that globally-renowned travel writer Nicole Campoy Jackson was forced to weigh in on the conversation.
"In this particular case [of the TikToker], I understand why she didn’t want to move. A window seat, especially one pre-booked as such, is very much not the same thing as a middle seat,” she told People Magazine.
She advised that passengers should select their seats ahead of time 'for this exact reason'.
"I don’t think that you can board a plane with the expectation of someone leaving their seat for you," Jackson added.
"Generally speaking, don’t board a plane expecting passengers to shift for you," she said.
Jackson also says that if someone declines to switch seats ‘it’s no longer that one passenger’s responsibility’.
Others have had similar problems too, like the TikToker who was asked to move from her 1A plane seat – a very desirable seat.
She insisted she’s ‘not a terrible human being’ and users supported her saying if they wanted to sit together they ‘should’ve booked it that way’.
Which is quite fair enough if you think about.
If we paid for our seat, we’re sitting in it.
